


darling so it goes

by skioctober



Series: ode to self-indulgence [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: All The Tropes, Alternate Universe, Birthday, F/M, Hawaii, Self-Insert, Shared Birthday, Vacation, steve and alyssa are meddling old biddies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-04-24 18:06:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19178608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skioctober/pseuds/skioctober
Summary: The gang goes to Hawaii.





	1. part i

**Author's Note:**

> Back again, right on time. 
> 
> I will go ahead and say that the next update may be delayed. I decided at the last minute to write two additional chapters for this story because I felt like I rushed it, so that's probably going to fuck up the schedule I've established. Hopefully y'all will bear with me.
> 
> Also a special thank you to ahsokatanos, whose wonderful support and enthusiasm for this series has kept me going. You are a gem!

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It's nearing two in the morning and the party is over.

Steve and Alyssa, who were delighted to learn that James and Anna share the same birthday, had thrown them a little get-together with their friends.

They'd catered in Korean food, and Steve had made a truly massive chocolate cake for them (it was amazing and Anna nearly ate herself sick on it).

Sam and his fiance, Natasha, had been fun to meet, and Anna's friends had had a grand time acting a fool with them (Katie and Natasha are banned from drinking tequila together for the foreseeable future).

They'd played a dozen rounds of Cards Against Humanity while Harry Potter ran in the background, which ended in a tie between James and Natasha for most wins (although in Anna's opinion, Natasha had the better cards).

It was fun.

With the guests gone home and the food put away – although Anna is contemplating another slice of cake – she assumes the night is over, and is ready to crawl into bed and pass out.

Until her sister sidles up next to Steve, and both of them beam at James and Anna, who are sprawled comfortably over Anna's couch.

Anna tries not to pay attention to that, or to think about the last time she and James were on her couch. Instead, she squints suspiciously at her sister. “What?”

“Are y'all ready for your present?”

Anna frowns. “We already opened our gifts.”

“This is the _big_ present,” Steve elaborates. “Technically, it's for all four of us, but we did it with you two in mind.”

“What'd you do, punk?”

“Nothing y'all won't be thanking us for next week,” Alyssa quips, brandishing a folder. She passes it to Anna. “Open it up!”

Cautious, but curious, Anna flips it open. And stares.

Inside are printouts, copies of emails that Alyssa received a week ago judging by the dates. As she reads over the details, her eyes get bigger and bigger.

“Hawaii?” James asks, reading over her shoulder.

“Yeah!” Alyssa claps her hands together, vibrating with excitement. “Are you surprised?”

“Fuck yes,” Anna breathes. “How did y'all afford this?”

Steve hums. “That's the fun part. We won it.”

“When we went down to Malone for that craft fair last week, their local travel agency was having a giveaway,” Alyssa explains. “We made a donation and put our names in – and yours, by the way – and a couple hours later they called to tell me we won.”

“Technically, Bucky won. They pulled his card, but her number was on all of them.”

“Yeah, so happy birthday, James!”

Anna and James share a look. His eyes are amused, and while Anna can feel the excitement bubbling up she has one major concern.

“I don't know that I can get the time off,” she says, hesitantly. “PTO requests are processed pretty quickly and I have more time shored up, but I was just off a week for Christmas.”

“Christmas was your first vacation in over a year,” Alyssa points out. “Besides...you know your boss lady and her mama are regulars at my diner, right?”

“I do,” Anna replies, eyeing her. “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?”

“Well, I happen to be Lilah's favorite server and I may have mentioned to her the other day that I had booked us a trip...”

“You didn't.”

“I did. And I asked if she thought you'd be able to get the time off and you know what she said?”

“I'm afraid to ask.”

“She literally was like “abso-fucking-lutely, Anna never takes any time off, get her the hell out of my office”.”

“She did not!”

Alyssa laughs. “Not like that, no, but that was the gist of it. You'll still have to put in for the time off, properly, but she said the week's yours as soon as you ask.”

Anna shakes her head. “Well, y'all just took care of everything, didn't you?”

“The flights and hotel are already paid for,” Steve adds. “We just have to pay for everything else. Food, activities, souvenirs.”

“Not a bad gig,” James says. “Never been to Hawaii before. I'm game.”

“Guess it's settled then.” Anna allows herself to grin widely. “We're going to Hawaii!”

 

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Anna does get the time off, and spends her free hours that week furiously cleaning her apartment and making lists of what to pack.

Frankie and Pickles had been something of an issue. She obviously couldn't take them to Hawaii with her, and boarding them for an entire week would eat into her vacation fund.

But while on the phone with her friends the afternoon after the party, Catherine offered to apartment-sit for Anna while she was gone. It was a weight off her, knowing her home and the cats would be looked after.

As it happens, Katie and Catherine both have the day off and are lounging on Anna's bed, watching her deliberate over select items of clothing and offering generally unhelpful opinions.

And asking about James.

“So are you, like, gonna actually do something about that on this trip?” Katie asks, and Anna sighs.

Not for the first time, she wonders if maybe she should have kept her feelings to herself.

But what happened between her and James on Valentine's – or what didn't happen, depending on how she looks at it – has been on her mind for weeks, and she'd been bursting to talk to someone about it.

As her closest friends, Katie and Catherine are privy to such things, and after two weeks of obsessing over it on her own, Anna had caved and told them what transpired.

Naturally, while they were very understanding of her hesitance, both women wanted to know why she hadn't “climbed that man like a goddamn tree”.

Which, she supposes, is a fair question. But she's starting to feel interrogated and it only makes her more anxious.

This trip could be a turning point for her and James, an opportunity to explore the potential of being something more than friends, but the idea of putting herself out there again, even for someone as sweet as James, is terrifying.

“I don't know, maybe?” She throws another swimsuit on her bed, frustrated. “I want to, I think, but it's... God, it's fucking terrifying. How can I put myself through that again?”

“How do you know you would?” Cat asks, smoothing out the one-piece so she can inspect it. “James seems like a really sweet, thoughtful guy. He could have been a real creep about Valentine's Day, but he brought you beer and watched kids movies with you.”

“And brought you flowers,” Katie adds. “Nice, pretty flowers.”

“He did,” Anna murmurs, melting a little despite herself. The carnations have long since wilted, but she has one of them pressed between the pages of her copy of _Sense and Sensibility._

“And it's obvious that you're gone on him,” Katie continues, moving the swimsuit into the “no” pile. “Which is understandable because that man is all kinds of luscious, but you thinking yourself into an anxiety attack isn't going to solve your problem.”

Cat nods sagely in agreement. “It will not.”

“I know.”

“We know you know. So what you need to do now is make up your mind. If you don't want to be more than friends, that's cool. Nothing says you have to be. But if you do want more, you're going to have to be upfront about it. If you pussyfoot around, you'll hurt yourself and you'll hurt him.”

“And honestly,” Cat says. “I think you'd really be missing out if you didn't at least try. We saw the way he looked at you during the party. The feeling is _definitely_ mutual.”

Anna considers their words, chewing her lip thoughtfully. “I guess so.”

“Plus, y'all are going to _Hawaii_ ,” Katie says, looking at her pointedly. “That's romantic as shit. You couldn't ask for a better place to get some booty.”

Anna grins, rolling her eyes. “That's true. I guess we'll find out when we get there, huh?”

“Guess so.” Cat picks up a shimmery green bikini top. “I like this one. It's not too flashy, but still eye-catching.”

Katie nods. “Nice color green for you.”

“It's one of my favorites,” Anna says, adding it and the matching bottoms to her suitcase. “I like the high waist, and it was on sale.”

“You bringing a sexy one?” Katie asks, making a silly face at her.

Anna rolls her eyes, but concedes, “Yes. That blue one you talked me into when we went to the mall.”

“Ooh, that one looked so good on you!” Cat coos.

“I still think you should have gotten it in red.”

“It was the wrong shade of red for my skin tone,” Anna replies, tucking in her makeup bag and toiletries. “I liked the dark blue better anyway.”

“So how many swimsuits are you bringing?” Cat leans over to peer into the suitcase. “Just those?”

“The blue and green, yes. My lemon print bikini is coming, too, and my good ol' black one piece.”

Katie rolls her eyes. “That frumpy old thing.”

Anna smacks her on the arm with a t-shirt. “Listen, that _frumpy old thing_ is serviceable, and comfy as hell. And it still looks good even though I've gained five pounds.”

“Ooh, a whole five pounds.”

“Shut up. I'm short, so five pounds looks like ten on me. We can't all be Amazonian goddesses like you.”

“Accurate.”

“Anyway, I'm gonna head out to Alyssa's. Sam is picking us up in the morning and it's one less trip he'll have to make.”

She zips up her suitcase and drags it out the living room. She slips on her shoes and goes through her mental checklist of _wallet, keys, phone, purse_ , then proceeds to shower Frankie and Pickles with love and affection enough to last them the week.

“Alright,” she says, turning to the girls when they emerge from her bedroom. “You've got all our numbers, and the number for our hotel. I let the front office know that you're staying here for me, Cat, and their number is on the fridge. There's about two-hundred in cash that I left in my desk for you, for food or emergencies or whatever. You know where the cat food and litter are. I think that's everything?”

“Yeah, I got it.” Cat waves her off and scoops Frankie into her arms. “They're good here with me. Go have fun in Hawaii and get your mans.”

“And send us lots of pictures!”

“I will, I will!”

She hauls everything out to her beat-up Subaru and stows it all inside. Once she's in and buckled, she shoots a text off to Alyssa, letting her know she's on the way.

Cat and Katie are standing on her little stoop, beaming at her, and Anna feels a swell of affection for her friends. She returns their waves and backs out of her spot.

As frustrating a talk as it was, Anna's grateful to have friends who will tell her the things she _needs_ to hear, rather than just the platitudes she wants.

She can only be thankful that she hasn't told Alyssa any of this yet, as that would turn their little slumber party tonight into a grilling that would put the FBI to shame. Alyssa means well, but Anna has met her daily quota for meddlesome talks with well-intentioned loved ones.

The sun is shining bright today, so Anna opens her sunroof. She's in an excellent mood, anxieties set aside for now, and she allows herself to bask in the anticipation of their trip.

And maybe she _will_ make the most of it. Anything could happen, and Hawaii _is_ very romantic. It's worth a shot.

Happy and relaxed, a giddy excitement bubbling her chest, Anna turns up her radio, humming along to Elvis's _Blue Hawaii_ album, and smiles.

She's looking forward to it.

 

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_See the sweet Hawaiian rose_

_See it blossom, see it grow_

_That's the story of our love_

_Ever since we said hello_

 

“ **Ku-U-I-Po” - Elvis Presley**

 

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	2. part ii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the moment, however, she can enjoy what's right in front of her.
> 
> There's plenty of time to form a plan. Plenty of time to get what she wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I feel like a heel after I told y'all last week that I had two extra chapters I wanted to add to this.
> 
> I DO want to add them, but I'm in the process of preparing to move halfway across the country back to my home state and it's eating up all my time. I just have not been able to sit down and write those chapters. Since I don't want to leave this series on a hiatus, I'm going to keep posting what I have and maybe in the future I can come back and add those chapters as bonuses to this story.
> 
> Hopefully y'all can forgive me for short-changing you and still enjoy this story - I really am excited to see how y'all react to it. Thanks again for all of your continued support!!

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The flight to Honolulu is long.

Mostly because they have to fly Delta, which neither Anna nor Alyssa prefer, and that fact has lodged in Anna's craw like jagged bone.

The seats are cramped and uncomfortable, and worst of all _assigned_ , so they end up apart from one another. Nearly ten hours in a flying tin can, with someone's fussy child screaming from the back.

Anna gets no sleep the entire way, and by the time they land her head is throbbing so sharply that she snaps at Steve when he tries to help her with her carry-on. Which makes her feel terrible enough that on top of her exhaustion and frustration she simply starts crying right there in the aisle.

While she blubbers apologies, Steve hands her bag off to James and calmly guides her off the plane.

When they get into the concourse, Anna bolts into the nearest bathroom to collect herself. After nearly twenty minutes she emerges, apologizing profusely to Steve as they make their way to the baggage claim.

Steve, kind man that he is, does not hold it against her.

Part of their package includes paid transportation from the airport to their hotel, and the ride there is blessedly quiet. Alyssa gently points things out as they pass by and Anna musters the energy to coo appropriately, not wanting to spoil her sister's fun.

From the short drive to the hotel, what Anna sees is beautiful. She hopes some ibuprofen and a short nap will cure the headache and improve her mood, because she really wants to get out and have a proper look at things.

Of course, when they arrive at the hotel and make it up to their floor, Anna is confronted with another issue.

She and James will be sharing a room.

After the headache set in and her mood tanked, Anna had completely forgotten about that part. They'd all discussed it before leaving, of course, because Steve and Alyssa are stupidly in love and had asked, shyly, if it would be okay for them to have a room to themselves.

Anna's heart had nearly stopped, thinking of the implications of sharing a room with James, but looking at Steve and Alyssa's hopeful faces, she couldn't bear to turn them down.

And now her soft heart has come back to bite her in the ass.

Steve and Alyssa, predictably, disappear into their room, leaving James and Anna to venture into their own next door.

Gallantly, James opens the door to let her go ahead and Anna returns the gesture by grabbing one of his bags for him, having use of both arms as she does.

They toss the luggage onto their respective beds and it's a hard-won battle for Anna not to just flop down after her suitcase. Instead, she digs out her little bottle of Advil and takes it into the bathroom.

Filling a Dixie cup with tap water, she uses it to wash down the pills, hoping they'll kick in soon. After some contemplation, she decides a shower might be beneficial.

“James,” she says, poking her head back into the room, where James is peering curiously out of the window. “I'd like to get a quick shower. Do you need the bathroom at all?”

His eyes flick over to rest on her and Anna wonders if there will ever be a time where she isn't affected by them. “Go ahead. 'M gonna lie down a while.”

“Okay.” She pads back to her bed, grabbing her toiletries and clean clothes. “Steve and Alyssa said anything?”

“Got a text from Alyssa, said Steve flopped over and went out like a light.” He smirks, amused. “Can't say I blame him. Flight wasn't exactly smooth.”

Anna hums in agreement. “But it _was_ free, and it got us to Hawaii in one peace. Small mercies. I'll be out in a minute.”

“Take your time, doll.”

She flushes at the pet name, embarrassingly partial to it, and is glad she'd already turned away.

She does take her time in the shower, letting all the stress of the flight and her strung-out emotions rinse down the drain. When she emerges, her headache has eased to a dull thud and just being clean does wonders for her state of mind.

James, like his best pal, is sound asleep on his bed. She figures it must be close to midnight back home and they'd had a long day, so she's not surprised to see him snoozing.

Anna lets her eyes linger a moment, and she thinks just how easy it would be to slip in beside him, curl up under his arm. Then she mentally slaps herself and scurries to her _own_ bed where she belongs.

_That's how you get yourself in trouble,_ she scolds, crawling beneath her covers. _Don't fuck up a perfectly good vacation with your romcom bullshit._

She sends a text to Alyssa to say they're both having a nap, but when no response is forthcoming she assumes her sister already had the same idea.

And is probably snuggled right up to the cuddly human furnace that is Steve Rogers. Anna tries not to be jealous.

_Quit being stupid and take your goddamn nap already_.

Despite the harsh command to herself, Anna peeks back at James, who looks adorably and _unfairly_ rumpled, and has to bite back a groan of frustration. _I'm not going to survive this._

She grabs one of her pillows and slams it down over her head, squeezing her eyes shut tight and willing herself to just go the fuck to sleep.

It must work at some point, because suddenly Anna is blinking eyes that feel like lead and freeing her head from the pillow still shoved over it.

She squints, adjusting, and peers around. There's a faint light coming in through the curtains, and she can't tell if it's dusk or dawn. A glance at her phone screen shows it to be six in the morning, and Anna sighs.

So much for a quick nap.

She'd been exhausted when she flopped down the night before, though, so she isn't too surprised.

There are no messages from Steve or Alyssa yet, so she assumes they're still asleep or otherwise occupied.

She drops her phone, rolling over to arc into a long, glorious stretch. The muscles in her arms and legs, cramped from her typical curled sleeping position, pull taut and then snap loose, and the soft groan that slips out of her seems loud in the quiet of the room.

A strange prickle of awareness raises the hairs on the back of her neck and she turns her head to find James sitting up on his bed, sipping coffee easy as you please. Shirtless.

And staring right at her.

His blue eyes peer over the rim of his mug, bright with mirth and a hot spark that makes Anna's stomach drop. “Mornin'.”

She's mortified, naturally, by the groan she'd emitted and the realization that James had been awake to hear it. Her cheeks warm and she's grateful the room is yet too dim to give away her blush.

“Hi,” she murmurs, meekly, curling into a ball on her side. She grapples for something to say, anything to distract her from the look in his eyes. “Been up long?”

“Long enough,” he quips, eyes hot and sly. “To get coffee from downstairs.” The _'and to hear the totally pornographic noise you just made'_ is heavily implied

She snorts. “You went downstairs looking like that?”

“Lookin' like what?” He smirks at her, and Anna both loves and hates the way it makes her stomach flutter.

_Like sex on legs_ , she thinks dryly, but replies instead, “Like a bum who just rolled outta bed. How'd you get the door open with the coffee in your hand?”

He winks charmingly. “'S a secret.”

Just like that, in the span of a moment, the urge to kiss him is intensely overwhelming and Anna stiffens, physically restraining herself from leaping off the bed and wrapping herself around him.

James just continues looking at her, smiling in a way that strikes her as too smug, as if he can hear her thoughts.

_I,_ she thinks, resisting the urge to shove her face in a pillow and scream. _Am going to_ kill _Steve and Alyssa._

She will exact her revenge upon them for tossing her to the wolves – or the one wolf, in this case – and it will be magnificent.

But first, she's going to have a drink.

 

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The sun is blazing down on them, roasting them from the inside out, and Anna has never been more relaxed.

Hot, beachy weather has never been her milieu, but being in a place as stunningly gorgeous as Hawaii is impossible not to appreciate.

The piña-coladas don't hurt, either.

Anna is on her third, a large concoction in a rough coconut shell, garnished with a bright pink umbrella, and she's pleasantly tipsy.

She's reclined on an Adirondack chair, under the umbrella Steve had helpfully erected to protect her from the sun, listening to the Hawaiian themed playlist she'd made on her Spotify earlier that morning.

Chris Isaak croons “Sweet Leilani” in her ears and she hums along, watching Steve and James attempt to drown each other out in the water.

Alyssa is laid out next to her on a towel, flat on her belly to tan properly, and periodically lifts her head to sip awkwardly from her own cocktail.

After a lengthy breakfast in the dining room, they had unanimously decided to take their first full day of vacation easy by laying around on the beach.

They're surrounded by miles of golden sand, mountains draped in lush green flora, and clear, sparkling blue water. It's the most picturesque place Anna has ever been to, and she'd snapped several photos before settling in to relax.

A shout drifts over to them from the water and Anna looks up in time to see James pop up from below the surface, spitting saltwater and shaking the longer strands of hair out of his eyes.

Steve is laughing uproariously and she takes it to mean he succeeded in dunking James after nearly an hour of scrapping.

“Your boyfriend is victorious,” she remarks, pulling her earbuds out as James comes striding up the beach. He doesn't look irritated, though, so she assumes he took his failure gracefully.

Anna pointedly ignores the way his hair clings to his face, and how the water is still streaming off him, little rivers cutting crooked paths down his body.

“Of course he did.” Alyssa rolls over into a sitting position, taking a huge swig of her drink and holding a hand out for James to help her up when he reaches them. “Tagging me in?”

“Punk's all yours,” he drawls, switching places with her. He flops easily down onto the towel, so close to Anna that he's nearly in the sand. “I've had my fill.”

“Go easy on him,” Anna calls lightly, smiling as Alyssa sashays off to, undoubtedly, play dirty against her unsuspecting boyfriend.

“No fun in that!”

Silence, expectant but not uncomfortable, settles between them once Alyssa's gone, and for a while they let it stretch.

Anna can do nothing to stop the quickened pace of her heart. He's just so close now, and all day she's felt his eyes on her, trailing after her, lingering when he thinks she isn't paying attention.

And she's been looking, too.

Something's building, those feelings she's been denying and worrying over for months churning and rising, steady breaking up to the surface. Eventually it's going to give, and Anna doesn't know if she's terrified or thrilled by the possibility.

She's so acutely _aware_ of him.

Heat radiates off him where he'd been in the sun, and she can smell the warmed salt on his skin and in his hair. The itch to lean over and _taste_ that salt on him makes itself known and Anna takes a gulp of her drink, desperate to cool herself.

_Jesus H. Christ._

Ridiculously, too, she wishes she'd picked a different swimsuit. She went with the “frumpy” black one, with a nicely broken-in pair of denim shorts, because it was comfortable and she hadn't been thinking to impress anyone.

The neckline does dip lower than can be considered modest, but ultimately the suit is plain and nothing special. For once, Anna bemoans her simplistic nature.

James doesn't seem put out by her lackluster apparel, given the way he keeps glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Her nerves prickle and, as she was that morning, Anna is assailed by the desire to leap into his lap and kiss him senseless. Which frustrates her, because she's not an _animal_ , for God's sake.

Her drink is empty now, too, so that's one less thing she can distract herself with. She's tempted to wander back up the beach to the tiki bar for another, but she doesn't actually want to get drunk.

She's a loud, _affectionate_ drinker and doesn't need alcohol increasing her odds of doing something she'll regret later.

She'll have to do something, though. The longer she sits there without saying anything, the more anxious and awkward she becomes, and she can tell James is starting to pick up on it.

“Here,” she says, offering him one of her earbuds.

He takes it without question, eyes lighting up. He looks so pleased by her attention that Anna feels bad for withdrawing.

No matter what other feelings she may be grappling with – and they are becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore – James is still her friend.

“What're we listening to?” he asks, picking up Alyssa's abandoned drink and taking a sip.

“It's a mix,” she replies, turning up the volume to be heard over the din of the beach. “I made it this morning. I'll start it over for you.”

He hums, a pleasantly throaty sound, as the opening chords thrum in his ear. “'S nice.”

“I think so, too.”

Silence lapses again, but it's easier this time. She's still a little tense – her feelings are simmering close to the surface, and the romantic tone of the music has her heart skipping funnily.

Her friends' words drift back to her, and she swears she can hear Katie's voice in her head, telling her to “get the fuck over it and jump him already”, and she admits the temptation to do so is powerful.

But can she?

Would it really be that easy, to just lean over and press her lips to his? Shouldn't they talk about it first, discuss what they want and where they want to go?

James is a good man, and a good friend, and had originally been scouted by Alyssa as a potential partner for Anna. From the beginning they've been thrown together by circumstance, but Anna has always been passive.

And guarded.

She doesn't mean to be. It's been two and a half years since her last relationship fell apart, and the healing process has been long and painfully slow.

James is the first person she's had any kind of inclination toward, and the fact that she has the capacity for these feelings at all, let alone the intensity of them, is terrifying.

And sweet.

She's watched Steve and Alyssa all these months, happy for them, but desperately wanting for herself what they've found in each other. But it won't fall into her lap anymore than it already has – she'll have to work for the rest.

She peeks over at James stretched on the towel next to her, sun-soaked and supine. He looks so at ease, and so happy, sitting beside her and nodding along to the music.

It's so utterly perfect and Anna is struck by the realization that she will not be able to leave this island and return home as just his friend. It will have to be all or nothing.

For the moment, however, she can enjoy what's right in front of her. The sunlight sparkling on the blue Pacific, the palm fronds clacking in the warm afternoon breeze, and James swaying to the rhythm of her music.

There's plenty of time to form a plan. Plenty of time to get what she wants. They have all week.

“Sweet Leilani” plays again, and Anna smiles to herself.

 

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_I dreamed of paradise for two_

_You are my paradise completed_

_You are my dream come true_

 

“ **Sweet Leilani” - Chris Isaak**

 

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	3. part iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James leans in close enough that she can feel his breath skate over her and, voice scarcely above a whisper, murmurs, “Got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are. The big finale! For this installment, anyway.
> 
> I'm really pleased with how this scene turned out, and I hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did!

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Anna doesn't get an opportunity to make a move until their last full day in Hawaii.

The week has been fairly busy: two nights in a row were spent drinking and dancing at The District, a popular nightclub, they spend a full day on Maui exploring and watching native performances (Alyssa particularly loved the fire dancers), and the four of them attempted a surfing class with varying degrees of success.

Meaning that Steve made the rest of them look like complete idiots, and later bought them all ice cream to make up for outshining them.

It's all been wonderful fun, an experience Anna will treasure for the rest of her life, but she's getting antsy.

She wants James Buchanan Barnes for herself, and she's not leaving Hawaii until she has him.

So she constructs a plot, and waits for the opportune moment to exact it.

Saturday morning, she rises a little early and showers. They're going for a hike out in the forests and Anna is, despite her ulterior motives, genuinely looking forward to it.

She makes sure to scrub clean and shave close, and while James is taking his turn she chooses her clothes with deliberate care. At least, she chooses her swimsuit that way – the linen shorts and loose white tank top aren't as important as the dark blue bikini underneath them.

The “sexy one”, as Katie had dubbed it.

She liberally applies an insect-repellent lotion to her skin – bug bites will not be tolerated – and spritzes on the orange blossom perfume she'd splurged on in Maui.

Given their agenda and the weather, she forgoes wearing makeup. It's exceptionally hot and humid today, and caked-on cosmetics will surely melt off within an hour.

James emerges from the bathroom half-dressed, and Anna doesn't bother pretending not to stare this time. For once, he's distracted – still half-asleep, probably – and doesn't catch her.

She ducks into the bathroom to brush her teeth and, after a brief once-over in the mirror, steps back out to collect her bag and shoes.

James is paying attention this time and she doesn't miss the way his eyes dip over her – nor the way they _linger._ She'd chosen her top specifically because it was thin enough to see her bikini through and her choice pays off. She can barely contain her grin,

Today is going to be _fun_.

“Ready?” she asks, smiling innocently up at him.

It takes him a long second to answer, and Anna knows instantly that he's trying to reconnect his brain to his tongue. It delights her. “After you, doll.”

If Steve and Alyssa notice how distracted James seems, or Anna's mildly smug expression, they don't comment on it. Alyssa does shoot her a questioning glance, eyebrows hiked up.

Anna only smiles.

They wander through the town for a while, not in any particular hurry to get to the trail. They're up and out on time, so they have all day a to get where they're going.

They while away a couple of hours by poking in and out of little shops, browsing roadside stalls. One woman claims that her rose quartz pendants will guarantee a successful romance and, tickled, Anna buys one to hang around her neck.

James buys them all shaved ice from an old yellow truck, and they settle in at a little white table shaded by palms to enjoy the treat.

Anna catches the eye of a passing local, a dark, handsome young man, and, feeling a little mischievous, winks at him.

He smiles shyly, ducking his head, and walks on. Anna is absolutely thrilled by this, she's in _such_ a good mood.

“Careful,” James remarks, spoon dangling between his lips. His eyes rest heavy on her. “Next one might not be so shy.”

There's something to the words, the way he says them, that has her grinning across the table at him, slow and sly. “I'll keep that in mind.”

It's a little past one when they finally make it to the start of the trail.

Anna checks her bag one more time for what she considers essentials: water, sunscreen, insect repellent. She has some wet wipes and a travel-size first aid kit, a handful of energy and protein bars.

Remarkably, they all have decent cell service and it reassures her that if something happens they'll be able to call for help.

Satisfied, she checks that everyone else is ready and strikes off down the trail.

She's surprised by the lack of other people on the trail. In the first twenty minutes of their hike, which is more like a stroll if she's being honest, they pass only a group of senior citizens – who have more energy in that moment than Anna has ever had in her entire life – and a couple their age with their dogs (which Anna and Alyssa both stop to pet).

It's a gorgeous day, though, and Anna isn't going to complain about having a trail in Hawaii virtually to themselves.

She pauses every so often to take pictures of things – a little creek running under a bridge, a bright-plumed bird Anna doesn't know the name of, a swath of fragrant plumeria.

She stops often enough that Alyssa gets fed up and takes the lead, just so she doesn't have to be held up by her sister's wandering attention.

Anna takes no offense to this – she's always been one to stop and smell the roses, so to speak – and so lets the others get a little ways ahead while she takes her time gazing around.

James hangs back, she notices, staying close by. She could tease him about trying to get her alone, but she knows he's making sure she doesn't get left behind and separated from the group.

It's sweet of him.

The plumeria she's capturing smells heavenly, and the vivid pink petals are so charming she can't resist picking the nearest one and tucking it into her hair, although it clashes horribly with the red strands.

She turns to head up the trail and catches James looking at her, amusement bright in his eyes. She smiles at him, a question, but he only shakes his head and leads her up to where Steve and Alyssa have gotten ahead of them.

The true goal of this hike is to reach the touted waterfall, a fairly popular attraction, and Anna is about to stop and check the map she'd gotten from the visitors center when she notices the wan look on Alyssa's face.

“AJ, are you okay?” she asks, coming up beside her.

“Dizzy,” she mutters, leaning against a tree. She looks a little pale and her eyes are slightly unfocused.

“Are you too hot?” It's well over ninety-degrees today, and even though they're relatively shaded by the trees the humidity is still heavy. “I have some water.”

Alyssa shakes her head. “Sugar.”

“Oh.” Her blood sugar is dropping. “Fuck. I didn't think to bring juice or anything for you.”

Anna paws through her bag, finally digging up a piece of hotel chocolate from housekeeping. She unwraps it and hands it to Alyssa, who takes a small bite. “Do you want to go back to the hotel?”

Alyssa wavers, seeming to deliberate, and then nods. “Yeah. I need to lie down.”

Probably a combination of heat and low blood sugar, then, if it's that bad. Anna nods. “Okay, we can take you back.”

Alyssa shakes her head. “You keep going. You wanted to see the waterfall.”

Anna huffs. “You're more important than a waterfall.”

“No shit, but it's our last day. Go see the waterfall.”

“I can get her back,” Steve says, laying a hand at Alyssa's elbow. “She's right, we're going home tomorrow and this is really the only thing you asked to do. It'd be a shame for you to miss it.”

Anna waffles, only partly reassured. “Are you sure you don't want me to go back with you?”

Alyssa looks her dead in the eyes. “Go. See. The fucking. Waterfall.”

Anna sighs. “Fine, fine. Take one of these energy bars, though. They have fruit so maybe that will help.”

Steve takes the bar and puts it in the pocket of his shorts, then proceeds to scoop Alyssa off the ground as if she weighed little more than a feather.

It's one of Alyssa's favorite things in life, and if she wasn't feeling so poorly Anna knows she'd be making a lot of lewd comments.

“I'll take her back and call you when we get there. You guys go on ahead. I'm sure she'll be fine in a little while and we can all go for dinner.”

“Okay...” Anna trails off, watching guiltily as Steve carries her sister back up the trail.

Truthfully, as worried as she is, she's pleased to get to finish the hike, and that makes her feels worse.

“She'll be alright.” James's voice is a soothing rumble, and his brief smile is reassuring. “Steve'll take care of her.”

“I know. I just feel bad, like I'm prioritizing sightseeing over her.”

James turns to continue down the path, leaving her with no choice but to follow. “I'd say _she_ was the one prioritizing. You skip the waterfall, she'll just get mad.”

Anna cracks a smile. “That's true. It's only another mile or so to the spot, so we may as well go see it.”

“There ya go.”

They stroll along quietly, each thinking their own thoughts. Anna notes through the canopy overhead that the sun has disappeared, and tries to remember if the forecast had called for rain.

It's not lost on her that she and James are alone again – that's happened often enough this week that Anna intends to question her sister at the first opportunity – and her heartbeat quickens.

Her master plan isn't really much of a plan, after all. Mostly it was to dress, speak, and act in such a way as to provoke James in any capacity. It works to a degree – she's definitely had his attention the entire time.

He's made of sterner stuff than she'd anticipated, however, and she should have known he'd be a tougher nut to crack. The interest is there, that much is obvious, but it's like he's waiting for her to make a move.

Like he's playing the game, too.

Well, she thinks, she should have expected that. James, as long as she's known him, is of a quiet nature, but underneath he's surprisingly wily. If she's going to one-up him, she'll have to do it soon.

They walk along amicably enough for the time being, Anna pausing every so often to snap yet more pictures. Before long, they can hear the soft rushing of the falls.

“We must be close now,” she says, speeding up in her excitement.

Anna rounds the corner, stepping off the main trunk of the path and onto a marked side trail, following her ears as the noise increases to a dull roar.

“Holy shit,” she breathes, stepping into the clearing. “James, come look at this!”

He comes up to stand beside her, taking in the view. “Now, that's somethin'.”

The waterfall is immense.

It towers over them, seemingly miles high, and the river above hurdles over the lofty edge to plunge down into the wide, dark pool below, churning and frothing.

Flora grows heavy up the sides of the cliff face, wildly abundant and studded with hundreds of bright blooms. It's beautiful.

“Glad you didn't go back?” James smirks down at her. “Woulda missed out on this.”

Anna rolls her eyes at him, taking out her phone to photograph the scene. “Yeah, yeah. Y'all were right.”

“'M always right,” he drawls. He skirts the edge of the pool, climbing up on a small outcropping of flat stones gathered near the base of the waterfall.

When she's satisfied with her pictures, Anna follows after him. James is perched on a shelf-like rock, low enough that he can roll up his pant legs and dangle his feet in the water.

She clambers onto the rock above him, surveying the water below. The temptation to jump in pulls at her, but she's not sure how deep the water is.

_Oh well._

Only one way to find out, and now's as good a time as any to give her plans a little nudge forward. Anna drops her bag with a dull _thud_ and proceeds to strip.

James, hearing the noise, turns his head to look at her and Anna has the distinct pleasure of watching his eyes pop out of his head. When she shimmies out of her shorts, Anna swears she can see the thoughts in his head evaporate completely.

She tries hard not to laugh at him, his expression so comically stunned, and fails. It's not his fault, though; the bikini is high-cut and skimpy, nothing like what she's been wearing all week.

“What,” he says, and it's so obviously a struggle for him to get the words out that Anna can't help preening a little. “Are you doing?”

“Going swimming?” She cocks her head, innocent enough, but she knows that _he_ knows she's full of shit.

The look he gives her goes from poleaxed to deadpan so abruptly that a bark of laughter bursts out of her before she can stop it.

She's beginning to feel a little self-conscious – this isn't the kind of thing she normally wears, and James's eyes on her are making her jumpy. But she's come too far to back out now, and time is running out.

She backs up on the rock to get a running start and then goes sailing past him. She hits the pool with a loud splash, sinking like a stone. Her feet just touch the bottom and she propels herself back up.

When she breaks the surface, blinking water out of her eyes, James is grinning at her. It's a happy, genuine expression that melts her insides to goo. She _loves_ to see him smile like that.

“Come on in,” she says, treading back and forth, slowly winding her way back to him. “It feels good.”

His eyes are warm on her. “'M sure it does.”

He doesn't move to jump in, though, and that doesn't suit her. She narrows her eyes playfully. “What's the matter? Scared something'll get you?”

“You're not careful,” he replies, eyes burning into her. “Something'll get _you._ ”

_That how it is?_ “I think you're just chicken.”

It's probably the most juvenile thing she could have said, but it _works_. Shaking his head, James rises to his feet and looks her dead in the eyes. “I warned you.”

Apprehension whips through her, but immediately goes up in smoke when he roughly shucks off his shirt and jeans. She'd be amused at watching him do it one-handed, but her mouth goes dry as bone and her stomach pitches as she realizes her mistake.

_I fucked up._

She has no more time to be shocked, or to drink in the view afforded to her, because James launches himself into the water with startling speed.

In a fit of pure reaction, Anna dives forward to avoid him – some instinct of _don't let it catch you –_ but his hand clamps around her arm just as she reaches the shelf he'd been perched on. Suddenly, she finds herself caught between the shelf and James.

_I fucked up, I fucked up, I fucked up –_

James leans in close enough that she can feel his breath skate over her and, voice scarcely above a whisper, murmurs, “Got you.”

Anna's heart it _thundering_ , so fierce it makes her ribs ache and she wonders that he can't hear it, can't see it slamming away beneath her breasts.

They lock eyes and she can't look away, attention rapt. He's so close...

A soft buzzing vibrates against the rock behind her, James's phone ringing in the pocket of his discarded jeans.

“That's...probably Steve...”

“Probably.” His nose bumps gently against hers, sliding up in a kind of lazy Eskimo kiss. His thumb strokes soothingly over her arm.

“We should answer him...?” It comes out as a question, Anna distracted by the proximity of him, of his mouth, and James smirks.

He hums, pulling her the last inch to him so that they're pressed flush together. Through the contact, Anna can feel his heart hammering wildly, too. “He can wait.”

And then his lips are slanting over hers, and he's kissing her – _James Buchanan Barnes is kissing her holy shit –_ and every thought residing in Anna's mind vanishes, only the gentle sigh of _finally_ remaining behind.

His mouth is surprisingly soft, and warm as they move together. The kiss itself is gentler than she might have expected given the circumstances leading up to it.

James tastes sweet, the remnants of the syrup from his shaved ice. Pineapple, she thinks dimly.

She's becoming increasingly invested in the kiss, and a little affronted because he's absolutely _ruining her plan_ – but he gives a smart nip at her lower lip and the wisp of irritation blows away.

And is then promptly replaced by terror when a series of high-pitched shrieks ring out from the trees.

Two things happen then, nearly at the same time: three young boys come tearing into the pool from the main trail, followed quickly by their harried mothers, and James snatches them both out of the water so fast Anna has no earthly idea how he managed it.

She probably never will.

She hadn't even seen him move, hadn't had time to react beyond jerking away from him and shrinking into the rock. But there she is, cradled in the crook of his arm while he glares at the oblivious children from on high atop the outcropping.

_“_ Jesus,” she breathes, and if she's being honest she knows it's less to do with the scare and more with the man who jumped clear out of the pool and onto wet rocks with all one-hundred and eighty-five pounds of her _in his single arm._

_I should have packed smelling salts,_ she thinks, thoroughly blown away. _Can I die from being too turned on?_

She's a thoughtless moment away from literally blurting that out, but is saved by one of the women approaching them.

“We're so sorry!” She looks up at them with big, brown eyes swimming with embarrassed remorse. “They've been begging all day to come here and once they heard the water they wanted to race and just took off.”

Anna laughs easily, already moving to reassure the woman. “It's okay, they're just kids. We should have been paying more attention to our surroundings.”

She taps James lightly on the shoulder and he allows her, very reluctantly, to slip out of his grasp.

The little family is soon in their own world, laughing and splashing, and checking the time on her phone, Anna decides it's time to head back before Steve comes hunting for them himself.

They're not really dry enough to put on their clothes, but Anna's not about to trek all the way back to the hotel in just her bikini. So they dress over their damp skin, gather their things, and head back up the trail.

The hike back is silent, and while it's not necessarily awkward or tense, Anna can't help worrying over the kiss and how it happened.

Is it really okay? Had he genuinely wanted to kiss her, or had it been spur-of-the-moment? She doesn't really believe that, James isn't that kind of person, and he's been giving her signals for weeks – months, if she's being honest – that he's more than interested.

But it's been so long since she's done this, acted on her feelings or even had any, that she now finds herself second-guessing every little thing.

She's almost thought herself into a panic, when James reaches out and takes her hand.

The gesture brings her up short, and she meets his eyes. There are no games this time, no teasing, and she allows him to see in her expression everything she feels for him.

“I can hear you worryin' from over here,” he says, smiling softly. “Don't gotta worry. That wasn't a one-off, or a mistake, or anything but somethin' I've been dyin' to do since I knocked your coffee over last year.”

Her heart flutters and she returns his smile. “You still owe me for that blouse.”

“I'll buy you as many as you want,” he promises. “Just wanted to make it clear that I'm not foolin' around, playin' games with you. I want you, Anna. Have for a long time.”

She's touched by his words, and the sincerity so clear in them. “I feel the same way. The more time we spend together, the better I get to know you... I don't want to be apart from you. I want you with me.”

His smile reaches his eyes this time, and everything about him is so lovely. “Glad you feel that way. Been driving myself crazy wonderin' if you did, or if it was just me.”

“I do,” she confirms, and begins to laugh. There's a sweetness aching in her breast and it's spreading outward, warming her through. “I really do. I wish I'd just owned up to it sooner. I wasted so much time.”

“Not a waste.” He brings their joined hands up to kiss her knuckles. “No time with you was a waste.”

Tears of emotion sting her eyes, but they pass. She's so happy. Deliriously, _incandescently_ happy, and she's so glad she took the plunge, risked opening herself up to him.

“Alyssa's going to lose her shit when we tell them,” she says, smiling and leading him up the trail. “She'll be unbearably smug for weeks when we get home.”

When they get home, and James and Anna can really begin spending time together. Making up for all the months Anna was too stubborn to just admit to her feelings and do something about them.

“We could make 'em wait,” James says. “Let 'em sweat it a little.”

She laughs. “That would just make her angry with us.”

“True, but,” James uses his hold on her to pull her close and plant another sweet kiss on her lips. “It'd be worth it.”

Anna beams up at him. “It would.”

 

.

.

.

.

.

 

_Dreams come true_

_In blue Hawaii_

_And mine could all come true_

_This magic night of nights with you_

 

**"Blue Hawaii" - Elvis Presley**

 

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**Author's Note:**

> I really do share a birthday with Bucky Barnes (March 10th, 1917 and 1995 respectively) and it tickles me to no end.


End file.
